This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl โ an easy burrito-style Mexican rice bowl thatโs easy to make and so delicious! Slow-cooked chicken in a mix of red salsa, salsa verde, and hot sauce. The chicken is then served over bowls of rice with a creamy homemade cilantro lime sauce. Of course, donโt forget to add all your favorite extras. Salty tortilla chips, pickled onion, and avocado are my favorites.
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
When my brothers and I were in middle school and high school, they would snowboard after school. This called for a second lunch/pre-dinner meal when they got home.
It was at this time when my love of cooking for others began. Iโd often make them chicken and cheese quesadillas, which was their favorite (I really should share that recipe with you all!).
Other times, Iโd make them burrito bowls, similar to what they would get at Chipotle.
The boys used to really pile their burrito bowls high, mainly with rice, chicken or steak, then salsa, a creamy sauce, and always an extra side of chips.
Itโs still fun to make them burrito bowls when theyโre back in Colorado.
Which is exactly what I ended up doing a couple of weeks ago when the entire family was visiting. This was the perfect crockpot recipe to make because I could easily feed everyone! Plus, I knew they all would really enjoy this! I doubled the chicken and made three batches of my homemade tortilla chips!
Everything was eaten and very much enjoyed!
Here are the details
Verde Chicken Ingredients
- chicken breasts or thighs โ I like thighs best for the crockpot, but I use both breast and thighs since my mom prefers breast meat
- chunky red salsa โ I love the Whole Foods 365 salsa. I usually buy the spicy
- salsa verde
- hot sauce โ I use Franks
- salted butter
Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients
- fresh cilantro
- garlic
- lime juice
- mayo
- honey
Ingredients โ for serving
- shredded lettuce โ you can also use cabbage
- steamed rice โ I like to stir in fresh cilantro
- tortilla chips
- pickled red onion
- avocado
- shredded cheese is delicious
- whatever else you enjoy in a burrito bowl!
Special Tools
Youโll need a crockpot for this recipe. Plus a blender or food processor for the sauce. You can also make the chicken in under 30 minutes in a dutch oven on the stove-top.
Steps
Step 1: mix and cook the chicken
Working inside the bowl of your crockpot, combine all of the ingredients: the chicken, red salsa, salsa verde, hot sauce, butter, and then add about 1/2 cup of water.
Slow-cook the chicken for a few hours. Slow cooking the chicken allows it to easily shred.
Or, as mentioned, cook on the stove.
Step 2: stir and shred the chicken
When the chicken is ready, give it a really good stir. As youโre stirring, the chicken should easily fall apart and shred.
Season the chicken with salt and keep it warm.
Step 3: the sauce
Start with the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in the food processor. Pulse until the cilantro is finely chopped and almost into a paste.
Using a spoon, mix in the mayo and honey. Donโt blend the mayo in the food processor. If you do, the mayo may โbreakโ, and the sauce will then be too thin.
Season the sauce with salt.
Step 4: create your bowls
Start with finely shredded lettuce on the bottom. Then pile on the rice and the chicken. To the side of the chicken, add plenty of tortilla chips. Then add pickled onions, avocado, and fresh limes. I like to add green onions too.
Then, add whatever other toppings you enjoy. We always add grated cheese to the steamed rice (so it melts). We usually skip the beans, but I know so many of you love them. Add what YOU like! Finish your bowls with a few spoonfuls of the cilantro sauce, plus extra sauce on the side.
This comes together simply. Itโs a fun, family dinner for sure!
Looking for other Mexican recipes? Here are a few ideas:ย
Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Jalapeรฑo Verde Sauce
Crispy BBQ Salmon Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa and Jalapeรฑo Cream
Crispy Jalapeรฑo Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Chipotle Salmon Tacos with Pineapple Jalapeรฑo Salsa
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeรฑo Crema
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Tortilla Bowl
Ingredientsย
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups chunky red salsa
- 2 cups salsa verde
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- salt and black pepper
- rice and tortilla chips, for serving
- shredded lettuce, avocado, limes, and green onions, for serving
Cilantro Lime Sauce
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 big cup fresh cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoon honey
Instructionsย
Crockpot
- 1. In the bottom of the crockpot bowl, mix the chicken, red salsa, salsa verge, hot sauce, taco seasoning, butter, and 1/2 cup of water. Season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours.2. Remove the lid and stir the chicken until it falls apart and shreds โ season with salt. 3. To make the sauce. Add the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice to a blender/food processor. Pulse until chopped. Stir in the mayo and honey โ season with salt. 4. Add a big handful of lettuce/cabbage to a bowl. Spoon over the rice. Add a couple spoonfuls of chicken, then chips on the side. Add avocado, onions, and lots of cilantro lime sauce. Enjoy!
Stove
- 1. In a Dutch oven, mix the chicken, red salsa, salsa verde, hot sauce, taco seasoning, and 1/2 cup of water โ season well with salt and pepper. Set over medium heat and cook 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. 2. Stir the chicken until it falls apart and shreds easily โ season with salt. 3. To make the sauce. Add the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice to a blender/food processor. Pulse until chopped. Stir in the mayo and honey โ season with salt. 4. Add a big handful of lettuce/cabbage to a bowl. Spoon over the rice. Add a couple spoonfuls of chicken and then chips on the side. Add avocado, onions, and lots of cilantro lime sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I am wanting to double this recipe. Would you recommend doubling the salsa verde and red salsa or will that make it all too soupy?
Hey Katie,
I would double everything:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
My family loves this recipe. They donโt love mayo, so can I sub Greek yogurt instead?
Thanks!
Thanks so much, Danielle! Sure, that should also work nicely for you. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I made this in a Dutch oven, and overall, we enjoyed it. I have to say though (even as a big lover of mayo) that the cilantro lime sauce was the weak point for me; the mayo taste was too strong, and seemed incongruous with the other ingredients. Next time I make it, Iโll use sour cream instead. I served it with rice, avocado, and lime wedges.
Hey Karen,
Iโm grateful you tried this recipe and took the time to comment. Delighted it turned out!
This was so delicious- so many interesting flavours. My husband, who says he is not a fan of avocado or cilantro, agreed to try it and he loved the combination. I always like to try a new recipe without substituting anything and I can say I wouldnโt change a thing. This will be great for feeding a crowd. Thank you for a great new addition
Hey Lorraine,
Awesome! I appreciate you making this dish and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great Sunday!
Great, delicious recipe thatโs easy to do especially in the Dutch oven, only takes 30mins!
Hey Jeremy,
I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a win!
Have the best weekend!
What would you change if you used bone in?
(Obviously besides removing bones before shredding!)
Hey Katherine,
That would be perfectly okay for you to do, I would keep the recipe as is:) I hope you love this dish!
just a caution, 1/4 cup of hot sauce is way too much. If you want spice, use medium salsa instead.
Otherwise pretty good but Iโd sub oil instead of butter.
Hi Maria,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it was so spicy!
Delicious! My husband said heโd eat it every week! I used a rotisserie chicken I had previously pulled and frozen and just heated on the stove. Easy, flavorful, and a nice change to Mexican night.
Hey Jen,
Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, I’m so glad it turned out nicely. Have a great Thursday!
My family and I absolutely loved this dish. Very easy, quick. My 3 kids 1.5, 5 & 7 y/o. Itโs hard finding a meal the entire family enjoys. This will be a repeat dish, even for gatherings. 10/10 I also used the 365 chunky red salsa. Did 4hrs on low in the crock pot. Shredded nicely. โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Hey Leora,
Wonderful! Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Perfect Superbowl meal! So easy and everyone loved it! I made extra mayo, though admit I am not a cilantro fan, so left it out and added extra garlic along with lime zest instead. My son actually said the dish was incredible and just asked for the recipe so he can โshow off his cooking skillsโ. Thank you once again!
Hey Teri,
Fantastic! I appreciate your feedback, thanks for trying the recipe! So glad it was enjoyed!
Amazing! I even used a deep frozen hunk of chicken in the instapot on high for 25min and it still shredded perfectly! My 3 year old ate the chicken too!
Making again next week! Going to try Greek yogurt instead of mayo for the cilantro lime sauce. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday!! So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!